Experiment

Talk out loud with the TBTS 3-minute Vanishing Voicemail number: (734) 531-9484‬

Calling this number takes you straight to voicemail and allows you to be on the call for up to three minutes (no matter if you are talking or remaining silent). The voicemails left at this number vanish. (They are deleted by Leeann without being listened to.) I've been surprised time and time again how incredibly fruitful I find it to talk to a teddy bear that is merely a recording device. By providing this phone number as an easy, concrete way to immediately do TBTS, I hope it paves the way for others to easily reap the benefits for themselves as well. Note: Calling this number gives you a way to have the space held for you for the time that you are on the call, without providing you (or anyone else) access to the recording after the call is over.

Recordings that don't vanish

But, what if you do want access to the recordings, and/or you do want someone else to listen to the recording?

If you're an Apple user, you can use the Voice Memos app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. Click here for instructions on how to make recordings, manage them, and share them.

If you have an Android phone, here's an option.

WhatsApp

Another option is to use Whatsapp.

To record a voice message, use the microphone icon to the right of where you would type a message. For more details, click here.

If you want to send these voice messages just to yourself, click here for instructions.

Examples

Here are some different setups for what teddy bears might be asked to do:

• serve as a silent witness
• do some paraphrasing of parts of what the talker said
• offer some questions (and perhaps offer the questions in writing)
• or make guesses at what's at the bottom of what the talker is talking about
• serve as a scribe by writing down the parts of what the talker is saying that they ask you to

Here are some examples of what someone might want to talk through with you when you're their teddy bear:

• Whatever thoughts come to mind as they try to wade in when they're not sure where to start
• Prioritizing their day
• Making their intentions clearer with an email they just finished drafting out
• Fleshing out some different possibilities that could address an issue
• Reflecting on a parenting decision or a conversation they need to have
• Talking through something that the teddy bear won't be able to follow closely, including starting in the middle of a story

Since teddy bears aren't asked to do much, will Teddy Bear Talk Support make it easier to reach out and connect with people? Easier for talkers to ask someone to be their teddy bear? Easier for someone to introduce the idea of Teddy Bear Talk Support to a potential talker and offer to be their teddy bear on the fly? The hope is, yes!

Setup examples:

Paraphrasing Bear

A talker and a teddy bear have agreed to do Teddy Bear Talk Support for 5 - 10 minutes. The talker has requested that the teddy bear listen silently unless the talker asks them to do some paraphrasing of what the talker has said.

Taking timed turns and offering questions in writing

2 - 3 people have decided to start their day by taking turns doing Teddy Bear Talk Support with each other over Zoom. They will use a timer to give each person 7 minutes for their turn as the talker. They agree that teddy bears can offer questions in writing at any time by using the chat. It is understood that the talker can feel free to not answer the questions by simply continuing to talk, and the talker is encouraged to do what feels best for them in the moment. Since the chat can be easily saved, the questions can be saved to be thought about later.